tim burton

Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Oogie Boogie (voiced by Ken Page) is the antagonist of the 90s stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas.  Finding himself at odds with Jack Skellington, Oogie Boogie also manages to kidnap Sally to lure the Pumpkin King to his dungeon-like lair.  Oogie Boogie is a boogeyman made of a burlap sack filled with countless brightly colored bugs that he’s eaten.  Under certain lighting in his lair, he glows a bright green color.  If you don’t want to shell out for the prestige costume below, you can get creative with a baggy dress and shoes (though it may be worth the splurge for the vinyl mask).  For a little extra flair, try a thin layer of glow-in-the-dark paint.  And don’t forget to bring some gummy worms to fill out your costume (and maybe share with friends).

Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Jack Skellington (voiced by Chris Sarandon with Danny Elfman providing his singing voice) is the main character in the stop motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas.  The King of Halloween, Jack finds himself dissatisfied with his usual holiday shenanigans, and with the help of his fellow Halloweentown residents, including Sally, Jack takes over Christmas.  His bid to spread holiday cheer doesn’t go exactly as planned, but everyone ends up with a greater appreciation for the holiday season.  Jack is a tall, skinny skeleton with a pinstripe suit.  If you don’t want to wear a plastic mask, you could always paint your face, though that won’t achieve his immediately recognizable round face.

Victor Frankenstein from Frankenweenie

Victor Frankenstein from Frankenweenie

Voiced by Charlie Tahan, Tim Burton’s Victor brings a youthful wide-eyed spin on the classic mad scientist from Mary Shelley’s classic novel. After all it’s much easier to sympathize with a little by who wants his dog back than a madman bent on defying the laws of nature!

Victor channels a bit of the original Frankenstein’s mad scientist style with his robes and goggles. But the clothes he wears underneath are more modern. A grey button down, black pants, black belt, and black shoes make up the core of the outfit while a short black wig rounds it out. Grey face paint or dusky makeup can recreate the vibe that you’ve stepped out of a black and white movie. And of course you’ll need your very own Frankenweenie!

Elsa van Helsing from Frankenweenie

Elsa van Helsing from Frankenweenie

In Tim Burton’s universe, Winona Ryder has a way of bringing to life girls that are special mix of sweet and sharp. Elsa van Helsing is no exception. She cares deeply for the people in her life but she’s not exactly a fan of the fluff and frippery that others seem to like.

Elsa’s appearance is a great example of this. She wears her black hair up in long pigtails and opts for a high-neck shirt, a dark pinafore dress, grey tights, and black shoes. You can also use grey face paint if you want to go for the “stepped out of a black and white movie” look. You can also use dusky makeup colors to create a similar look without going for full-face coverage. And of course you’ll want a stuffed poodle to play the part of your very own Persephone

The White Queen from Alice in Wonderland

The White Queen from Alice in Wonderland

Anne Hathaway brings the ethereal White Queen to life in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland movies. She is the polar opposite of her sister, the wicked Red Queen, preferring kindness over decapitation of those who annoy her. She favors the color white and a Victorianesque wardrobe, consistent with the era of Lewis Carroll and Alice’s home world.

Batman from Batman (1989)

Batman (1989)

The 1989 version of Batman found Michael Keaton beneath the cowl and Tim Burton behind the camera. It’s a movie you either love or hate thanks to its striking visual style, signature ’80s vibe, and the way Keaton plays Bruce Wayne. Love it or leave it, though, there is no denying that this movie has one of the most iconic versions of the joker and some great action sequences that set it apart from other Batman films.

Getting an accurate Batman look does not come cheap or easy and that’s something to keep in mine with costumes like this. Starting with the basic suit you can switch out the belt to match the 1989 film. Items like the cowl and neck guard can be made using patterns from Etsy or you can order premade versions though the price tag runs much higher. Finally some killer boots and a grappling gun rounds out the ’80s Batman vibe!

Judge Turpin Character

Judge Turpin from Sweeney Todd

Judge Turpin is the main antagonist in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He is a corrupt judge who falsely convicts Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd to be with his wife. Unable to withstand his abuse, she poisons herself, and the judge takes custody of her daughter. When she turns sixteen, he offers his hand in marriage, and she refuses. The mistreatment of his family is Todd’s main motive for murder and revenge. In the Tim Burton adaptation, Alan Rickman (aka Professor Severus Snape) plays the crooked character.

Mrs Lovett Sweeney Todd Character

Mrs. Nellie Lovett from Sweeney Todd

Mrs. Nellie Lovett is a main character in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. She runs a pie shop, but she claims she serves the “worst pies in London.” When Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd visits, she comes up with the idea to turn his victims into pies. Mrs. Lovett becomes infatuated with Mr. Todd and plans to live a happy, married life with him, but he kills her when it’s revealed she hid information about his ex-wife. She’s rather eccentric and psychopathic, but she serves as comic relief. Helena Bonham Carter plays the role in the Tim Burton movie, which inspired this costume guide. Sew the red trim on the blouse for that pop of color, and style your hair with a teasing comb and hair spray.

Sweeney Todd Character

Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd

Benjamin Barker/Sweeney Todd is the main character of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful serial, but his fame comes from the Stephen Sondheim musical, which was then adapted into a movie by Tim Burton. Throughout each iteration, his role remains the same: a psychopathic barber who murders his customers. Subsequently, Mrs. Lovett bakes the bodies of his victims into meat pies for her shop. He takes on the alias of Sweeney Todd to abandon the identity of Benjamin Barker, who had been falsely convicted and banished, to now take revenge on those who wronged him. He especially wants vengeance against Judge Turpin for kidnapping his daughter. This costume takes inspiration from the Tim Burton movie, where Johnny Depp stars as the title role.

victor van dort

Victor Van Dort

Victor van Dort is the main character in the 2005 Tim Burton stop-motion animated film Corpse Bride where he is voiced by Johnny Depp. He is a man who finds himself accidentally wed to a zombie named Emily while practicing his wedding vows in a cemetery.

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